Body Image - Do you encourage yourself?

HawkeyeLite
HawkeyeLite Posts: 22
in Motivation and Support
I'm having a lot of negative body image thoughts right now. I think in part because I've gone through a breakup (I feel maybe unattractive and alone?) and also in part because I've been having a hard time, I've been overeating.

I'm getting close to my goal (if I would stop the overeating), and I still work out and I know mentally, I look better than I ever have since I've started losing weight... but I look at myself and I'm having a hard time thinking positively about my body image.

Has anyone struggled with this? How did you pull through? Do you encourage yourself in any way to start having a positive body image again? Would really appreciate any help to pull through this.

Replies

  • Jerseyjohn1997
    Jerseyjohn1997 Posts: 3
    yes! All through high school i saw these small 5'4 100 pound girls then their is me towering over them at 5'8 and a half and 137 pounds. I have a lot of negitive feelings and i have lost some weight i was 142 and got all the way down to 124 but i was on a diet called adkins and gained it all back from eatting normal. I do feel bad but i remined myself that not everyone is built the same and that if i want to get down to the weight i want i will have to work hard and stop overeatting, but it is so hard and i have been having a hard time overeatting to:(
  • Tony_Brewski
    Tony_Brewski Posts: 1,376 Member
    I motivate myself with my self hate. Is this healthy? Probably not but it keeps me going. When I start thinking "Damn I am looking good!" I let off. But when I remind myself how fat I am and how much I have yet to go then I dig really deep down inside and push myself with more effort then a pat on the back.
  • VeganCoco
    VeganCoco Posts: 104 Member
    My body image is god awful, I try to keep motivated but all I see is the faults. I've lost 37lbs and I feel exactly the same.
  • Mario_Az
    Mario_Az Posts: 1,331 Member
    I train to shine, I train and grind, i train like I lost my mothafu$k'n mind :)
  • kharper85
    kharper85 Posts: 44 Member
    My body image is horrible too... and I know I am not that big at 5'8" and 138 lbs .. and a LOT of women would love to be my size.. but in my head I am still the same 158 lb chick when I look in the mirror
  • vezz99
    vezz99 Posts: 3
    Hi - new to the forum. The way I've motivated myself so far is to take pictures along the way to remind myself of what I used to look like. No matter how bad i feel about how I look on a certain day, I can look back and say "Well I definitely look better than THAT." It keeps me pushing for the next milestone.

    I've done it every 10 pounds and the difference is obviously staggering. It'd be hard for you to do 10 pounds, but maybe every 2-3 pounds or so would still show you a huge difference.
  • BluddyHolly
    BluddyHolly Posts: 21
    My body image differs from day to day. Some days I feel good and get guys staring at me or flirting, but then there are days were I feel horrible about myself.
  • H3TR0
    H3TR0 Posts: 87
    I can relate to your struggle. You know how we're always hearing to follow your heart? This is one of those situations where you have to follow your head. Your head is telling you that you look better than you ever have; it's your heart that fears that it's not enough or that you aren't going to get to your goal despite the facts in front of you, which tell you you're doing great. That battle of head and heart is preventing you from thinking positively of yourself.

    How do we fix it? By acknowledging the facts each day. Here's an example: I feel huge no matter what I wear. I have thunder thighs and they rub together when I walk and that causes my pants to make a noise that I am convinced is louder than a rock concert. But if I focus on how huge I feel, I'll never go anywhere because none of my clothes are going to magically make me look like a skinny woman. So I focus on what I am. I am a work in progress. Every small feat in my journey, I make a huge deal of because I have to be proud of the fact that no matter how small it is, I am changing and I am doing this. My work pants aren't leaving that dreaded button hole indent in my stomach? Victory!

    I have been an overeater for as long as I can remember and to be honest, a binge eater. But there's no purging, just shoveling in food. My biggest hurdle is learning to cope with any sort of emotion without turning to food. Again, when we re-channel from heart to head, we see the logic. we can ask ourselves, am I truly hungry? For me with binge eating, I tend to just eat one thing after another. So to stop myself, I record my food on MFP right after I eat it and then I get up and go do something else unrelated. A lot of times it's the muscle memory of sitting in front of the couch watching television for me that causes me to feel like I need some sort of snack. I just have to get up and do something else.

    I hope this is helpful and not a rambling :ohwell:
  • ally_nicole_k
    ally_nicole_k Posts: 34
    My body image is horrible too... and I know I am not that big at 5'8" and 138 lbs .. and a LOT of women would love to be my size.. but in my head I am still the same 158 lb chick when I look in the mirror
    don't say that! you have a perfect body, to me !! do you know how much i would love to be 138 pounds i am 198 !! you have no worries sweetie just keep up the good work!!
  • ally_nicole_k
    ally_nicole_k Posts: 34
    Helllo. i would like some advice please. i am 198 pounds and that is overweight for anybody!! i really get discouraged alot and give up and gain more weight please help!
  • Fiercely_Me
    Fiercely_Me Posts: 481 Member
    It is normal to have one of those days when you feel down, just don't stay down. It is always hard after a break up to have those feelings, and I'm going through the same thing. This is the perfect time to focus on you,and recognize all of the beautiful attributes you have, inside and out.

    I really believe in the saying, "I think, therefore I am". If you tell yourself, "I am beautiful", you will believe it, through the good days and the bad.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I look at fine art images of the body and realize that beauty encompasses far more than the photoshopped images of women that bombard us every day.
  • ksuetorres
    ksuetorres Posts: 139 Member
    I can relate to your struggle. You know how we're always hearing to follow your heart? This is one of those situations where you have to follow your head. Your head is telling you that you look better than you ever have; it's your heart that fears that it's not enough or that you aren't going to get to your goal despite the facts in front of you, which tell you you're doing great. That battle of head and heart is preventing you from thinking positively of yourself.

    How do we fix it? By acknowledging the facts each day. Here's an example: I feel huge no matter what I wear. I have thunder thighs and they rub together when I walk and that causes my pants to make a noise that I am convinced is louder than a rock concert. But if I focus on how huge I feel, I'll never go anywhere because none of my clothes are going to magically make me look like a skinny woman. So I focus on what I am. I am a work in progress. Every small feat in my journey, I make a huge deal of because I have to be proud of the fact that no matter how small it is, I am changing and I am doing this. My work pants aren't leaving that dreaded button hole indent in my stomach? Victory!

    I have been an overeater for as long as I can remember and to be honest, a binge eater. But there's no purging, just shoveling in food. My biggest hurdle is learning to cope with any sort of emotion without turning to food. Again, when we re-channel from heart to head, we see the logic. we can ask ourselves, am I truly hungry? For me with binge eating, I tend to just eat one thing after another. So to stop myself, I record my food on MFP right after I eat it and then I get up and go do something else unrelated. A lot of times it's the muscle memory of sitting in front of the couch watching television for me that causes me to feel like I need some sort of snack. I just have to get up and do something else.

    I hope this is helpful and not a rambling :ohwell:

    YOU ARE WONDERFUL!!!! Bless your heart (as we say in Texas) for putting one foot ahead of the other, taking a breath and then another, and seeing the progress you've made each day. You are an inspiration!

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